tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57261552458895705412024-03-13T12:02:54.261-06:00Becky's BloggerThis blog shares my passion for marriage, motherhood, homeschooling, gardening, cooking and baking, theology, politics, creation science, apologetics, and evangelism.beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-70870454183174233482023-10-28T20:03:00.006-06:002023-11-02T10:18:43.797-06:00Getting Started with Sourdough BakingI've been baking with sourdough starter on and off for about 4 years. Lately, friends are wanting to try it, so as a way to simply give instructions to get them started, I've created this.My current sourdough starter was gifted to me from a friend. I keep it alive in a pint jar. When I have plans to bake with it, it's on the counter being fed once a day. If I'm not baking beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-46303714487547649082020-04-28T14:39:00.000-06:002020-04-28T14:42:57.913-06:00Homeschool to Public School and Back Home Again
I didn’t homeschool all our children for every grade. Our firstborn began Kindergarten in public school, but within three months, we decided it was going to be easy enough to homeschool her. And that is what I ended up doing for her K through 2nd grade.
When she was ready for 3rd grade and our next child was ready for Kindergarten, we chose to enroll in public school for a beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-59154240793491132802020-04-26T14:12:00.002-06:002020-04-28T14:06:45.415-06:00How I Homeschooled High School
Yes! Homeschooling high school is doable! If I can do it, you can too! At the time of publishing our oldest child is a few weeks from graduating high school and our second child is almost finished with 9th grade. Here are resources and plans that are working for us.
RESOURCES:
My first source of information comes from “The Homescholar”, Lee Binz at https://beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-72608626931572398982020-04-16T11:09:00.001-06:002020-04-28T14:07:10.944-06:00How I Homeschooled Second (2nd) Grade
When my oldest began second grade, I decided to buy a complete curriculum for the first time. We chose Sonlight that year. I love Sonlight because there are fantastic books to read aloud and learn from throughout the year, and the curriculum comes with complete lesson plans for 180 days (36 weeks) of school. I just had to open up the teacher’s manual to the week we were on, beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-40931238861511112102020-03-01T14:35:00.001-07:002020-04-28T14:08:15.391-06:00How I Homeschooled Kindergarten
What to Teach:
My guide for what I needed to teach in Kindergarten came from the book "Home Learning Year By Year" by Rebecca Ropp.
Resources I used for Teaching:
Math:
Math-U-See Primer or Alpha - https://mathusee.com/ . If your child already used Math-U-See Primer in preschool as an introduction to math concepts, and they know how to write numerals zero through beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-43288456760307545392020-03-01T14:10:00.003-07:002020-04-28T14:08:52.026-06:00How I Homeschooled First (1st) Grade
What to Teach:
My guide for what I needed to teach in 1st grade came from the book "Home Learning Year By Year" by Rebecca Ropp.
Resources I used for Teaching:
Math: For some of my children, I used Math-U-See. At this grade level, your child may be ready for Alpha or Beta. There are placement tests available on their website, https://mathusee.com/ . &beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-34649765645962858792020-01-28T11:21:00.000-07:002020-01-28T16:00:41.469-07:00Sourdough Bread MakingIn January 2019, I began a quest to learn about sourdough bread making. I really enjoyed the experience and knowledge I gained, and the breads I made for our family over the course of the year. I have tried to simplify what I have learned and how to go about it yourself, but if you are interested in learning more or diving deeper, reference the websites I used as my own sources which beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-22668947708124884942020-01-13T08:50:00.001-07:002020-01-13T08:50:50.544-07:00Friendships: One of the Sacrifices of Military LifeWith the next Army move just a few months away, I'm already hearing my friends say, "We're going to miss you." I genuinely appreciate knowing my family and I matter to them, and we will miss the people we're leaving behind. My response usually is, "we're not gone yet!" because we are still fully invested in our community here until the day we have to leave.
But it hit mebeckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-49346548358862747892020-01-09T09:22:00.002-07:002020-01-09T09:27:19.615-07:00The Joy that Lies Ahead "Oh sure, I'll interrupt my regularly scheduled life and do what it takes to pick up and move my family to an island in the Pacific. Why not?" - me, sarcastically, right now.
This is the second time in our Army career (my husband's career that I support as his wife) that we have had an unexpected assignment to a dream location on an island in the Pacific. Our first assignment was to beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-19572658173735885912020-01-02T14:49:00.003-07:002020-01-09T09:22:54.441-07:00Thoughts on Finding Peace My typical weekday is spent at home with our five children, ages 4 through 17. I have no quiet children. And they are all very different. And they’re siblings. As a result, there’s a lot of noise. Noise from general chatter, singing or humming while they work on school, practicing musical instruments, noise from me giving direction, correction, beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-50504623773209687512019-12-21T14:56:00.002-07:002020-01-09T09:23:55.463-07:00PCS to Okinawa in our Near Future"From Okie to Oki"
After 14 1/2 years of Army life, we expect moves to happen every few years, and we knew this one was coming. We just didn't see this location coming! We received word this month that Summer 2020, we'll be moving from Oklahoma to Okinawa, Japan!
My first reaction was one of huge surprise, followed by concern, followed by excitement mixed with anxiety. The waybeckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-33132876012921945162019-12-21T13:55:00.000-07:002019-12-21T13:55:26.134-07:00When Love Looks Like a Multiple Choice QuizThe morning started off roughly between us. He didn't know I had slept poorly, I was still in bed when he had to get ready for a half-day of work, and I was really annoyed by all the noise he and the kids were making as they got ready for their day. When I commented that he was so loud, he said he was sorry but he had to get ready for work. Then he left the room, but didn't beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-3819746817309491872019-08-03T08:37:00.001-06:002019-08-03T09:09:38.753-06:00I Could Never Do That! - Homeschool Edition
I hear it all the time when people find out that I homeschool our children. Five children, to be exact. And yes, we even homeschool through high school. People say they could never do it themselves.
My response? Yes you could, if you believed it was best for your children, or for your family.
I’m really an ordinary person. I attended public beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-5094959539785167652019-08-03T08:29:00.000-06:002019-08-03T08:56:33.161-06:00I Could Never Do That! - Military Life Edition
I hear it all the time. I meet a civilian, we have enough conversation for them to find out I’m the wife of a soldier, and then they exclaim, “I could never do that!” I know it’s meant as a compliment. I say it about women who have served in the military. I could never do that. Sometimes I say, “You’re a tougher woman than me!” I have no desire to be so beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-85419847434653890302019-07-28T13:09:00.000-06:002020-04-28T14:09:35.113-06:00How I Homeschooled Preschool
You’ve taught your child so much since birth. You can do preschool better than any preschool because you know your kid. You can do this!
When my children were preschool age (3-4), I did a bit of structured learning focused on Reading, Writing and Math, topped with lots and lots of library books - some educational, some just for the joy of reading a great story. beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-90005649557800450042016-05-14T14:02:00.002-06:002016-05-14T14:04:05.975-06:00Be the Unifier in the Midst of DivisivenessThere are many times in the day-to-day we hear talk that divides.
It may be a leader, for example, who states something that he or she knows others disagree with. Perhaps the person feels genuinely strong in favor of a particular cause, and are hoping that by their statement, they and others who agree with them will convince others of the rightness of their belief. But their approach beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-63089380564535459762016-05-08T13:00:00.000-06:002016-05-08T13:00:24.904-06:00PCS Time MusingsIn two short months, we'll be PCSing, which is military speak for moving to a new duty station for the sake of the soldier's job.
I love the adventure of living in a new place. It means a new house to arrange, new surroundings to explore, new people to meet, new opportunities for activities and involvement we may not have tried before. It suits me perfectly because when I was young,beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-7890748820276047272016-05-07T18:47:00.000-06:002016-05-07T18:47:34.582-06:00Don't Just Watch Life. Direct Life.There are people in my life who inspire me. They're ordinary people, but with an extraordinary perception, insight or wisdom, and they share it. And when they do, I'm grateful. But also, I wish I'd heard what they shared the day before, the week before, or longer, because when I was without that thing they shared and needed it, I did not have it myself. I did not inspire beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-1524846723648423552016-05-07T17:30:00.000-06:002016-05-07T19:06:06.188-06:00Preparing to Homeschool High SchoolWhen we started homeschooling our oldest child 9 years ago, we didn't know how long we would continue. But now she's completing her 8th grade year, so on the horizon is the beginning of high school! And yes, we are planning to home school high school.
I have been gathering information on this new venture for 3 years through home school conventions, online resources, and talking with beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-88564438513842577822015-02-10T15:38:00.000-07:002015-02-10T15:39:29.659-07:00The Winter Slump of HomeschoolIt seems there is a common thread among homeschool families about how this time of year is especially difficult. I know it is for me. I've seen a recent blog post about it, and my homeschooling friends on Facebook have also mentioned it. We're either feeling the fatigue of the long-term responsibility of completing the school year, or our children are struggling with it. Ibeckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-73197871978044497102015-02-08T14:45:00.002-07:002015-02-08T17:38:13.240-07:00My Unique Life - RamblingsI have found that in the community we currently find ourselves, both in our church, and in our military community, I seem to be unique. I seem to be a part of a small group, a minority, in several categories.
I am a stay-at-home mother with four (going on five) children who range from age 1-12. Would you say a large family is a family of 5 or more? We'll soon be a family of 7.beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-58490024578278385122013-01-10T08:00:00.000-07:002013-01-10T08:00:10.076-07:00Exercisin'I have put off, avoided, grumbled about, and excused myself from exercising regularly for awhile now, for various reasons. However, late last Fall, I finally got the motivation to set a goal that I've been able to stick with for 8 weeks now! I've been doing the "Couch to 5K" program!
I can guarantee you I do a lot of sitting on the couch. I teach homeschool from the beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-78768958468743544212013-01-07T08:00:00.000-07:002013-01-07T08:00:00.340-07:00Training Children in Good HabitsArgh! Some things we are trying to teach our children are a source of constant frustration because we hear ourselves continually repeating the same instructions over and over. For example, the last several days I have had to remind my daughter that getting dressed includes putting on socks and brushing her hair.
Another recurring mantra I hear coming from my mouth is when one of thebeckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-65386690948994278972013-01-06T12:30:00.000-07:002013-01-06T12:30:01.377-07:00Learning ContentmentLast year, it was a struggle for me to be content. I complained a lot about the Army making us move from a place we enjoyed to a place we expected not to enjoy. I complained about the places I felt I had been thrust into volunteering immediately as a leader when I'd rather fill a supporting role instead, after taking plenty of time to assess where I would like to use my talents.  beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-10980006603821905592013-01-05T08:00:00.000-07:002013-01-05T08:00:02.714-07:00Bold PrayersA couple weekends ago, I visited my parents' church, where a young man I know preaches. His energy of presentation and vision of what God can do made a huge impression on me. God surely spoke to me through him.
He began by describing how we typically pray for protection and safety, for people to get well, and not much else. He asserted that perhaps God thinks, "yeah, I got thatbeckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com2